Hope Has Never Helped
by IAmAPencilBird
Summary: For the 101 characters challenge. This is the fateful night for Frank and Alice Longbottom.


**Hope Has Never Helped**

"_Confringo!" _I heard a voice cry, before the front door was blasted of it's hinges, and shattered into a million splinters. Alice and I had been on the top at the time, laying Neville to bed. The noise had awoken him, but he seemed to know not to cry. He was always a clever lad.

"Alice," I whispered, careful to keep my voice low. "I'm going down, stay here."

"I'm not leaving you," she whispered back angrily.

"Alice, if I die, someone's got to look after Neville -"

"And you won't die, because I won't let you!" Alice cut me off.

"Alice, please!" I pleaded. She answered a fixed glare. "I can't lose you!"

"And you won't! Have some hope," her glare had softened, but was still determined.

"Keep looking, they're here somewhere!" A raspy voice said. It seemed vaguely familiar. By the sounds of things, they were destroying the house in their search, toppling chairs, destroying rooms and…ascending the stairs. "Fine!" I said in a low voice, pulling my wand out of my front pocket. Alice pulled hers out of the sleeve of her blouse. We silently crept out of the Nursery, and onto the top floor landing.

I should have known not to trust hope. "_Expelliarmus_!" Two voices came from seemingly nowhere, and both my own and Alice's wand flew out of our hands, and into the expectant hands of Death Eaters.

"_Crucio_!" A shrill, female voice cackled. The cruse sailed over and hit Alice square in the chest.

"ALICE!" I screamed, as she doubled over in agony, resisting the temptation to scream.

"Aw, isn't that cute," the female mocked, "look Roddy, they care about each other!" The others screeched with laughter. I ignored them, and rushed to her side. I placed my hand on her back to support her, and she breathing heavily.

"Where is out Lord, Longbottom?" A Death Eater on the right asked me, and the room grew incredibly sombre.

"He's dead," I said tonelessly, "you all -" I, however, had been cut off, by a cry of outrage from the female Death Eater.

"You're lying! _Crucio_!" The curse had hit my self his time, and it felt that one thousand white hot knives were draping across my skin, and then penetrated it all at once. But, I refrained from crying out, like Alice, as it would only show them weakness.

"Where is he?" Said a skinny man, whose voice sounded as though it only cracked recently. "You know where he is. Where?"

"He was destroyed!" Bellowed Alice. "By Harry Potter!"

"_Crucio_!" The curse hit Alice, who fell to her knees, clutching her heart, breathing through gritted teeth. "Tell the truth, and we will stop!" He said calmly, yet arrogantly.

"Then you've broken your word already," I said through bared teeth, as another curse came my way.

The routine continued, of agony, cries of disbelief, and the want to scream till our voice's became hoarse. After what had seemed like a century, the cries and scream became reality. No longer could we hold in our pleas to stop, that we had no idea where their Lord was. I could only hope that it would end, the Aurors and the Order would come and find us.

"_Crucio_!" Roared the young Death Eater, and another curse made it's way to Alice, hitting her between the eyes, knocking her out. I would have been at her side in an instant, if it not for two things: my limbs were to heavy to lift or even feel, and a hand with sharp fingernail dug into my already stinging flesh. I could almost feel her mocking face slap my wounded skin.

"Look Barty," she said in a high-pitched baby voice. "he still hopes, you can see it, in his eyes." The youngest Death Eater - Barty - gave a hearty laugh.

"Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man." He said heartlessly, as the woman placed her crooked wand on my forehead.

"I'll give you _one last chance,_" She bargained. "_Where is my Lord_?"

"He is dead," I told her, like I had every other time. I could _hear _a smirk on her face grow at my statement.

"_Crucio_!" And as my body hit the floor, on February 27th, 1982, the world went white.


End file.
